I Still Wanted You
by Sonoshizaki
Summary: The Witch confronts the Prince about their past, wondering about the future. UtenaxAnthy.


"Utena-sama?"

The Prince sighed, she had long given up on telling Anthy to drop the honorific. "Hm?"

"Utena-sama, you are right to take me, if you wish."

Pink hair fluffed as she rolled to face her, ready to accost her for even mentioning her "rights" as the Rose Bride's fiancee, but stopped dead in her tracks. The words she was about to say were lost on the sight of the woman across from her. The way she looked in the moonlight made her breath stop. Her body reminding her that she needed air, she quickly swallowed a breath and shook her head. "Himemiya, I'm not like the others. You don't need to do that."

The duelist rolled back onto her other side, a blush tinging her cheeks. Had Himemiya always looked so... beautiful? She shook her head, deciding that sleep was a better option than over thinking. She was tired, right? I mean, she loves the Prince who gave her the rose signet.

...Right?

Sunlight filtered through the greenhouse glass as Utena lost herself in thought. Her head was spinning. She glanced at the ring on her finger, idly poking at it. Was she still in love with the Prince? Looking at this ring reminded her of her savior, but was it really that kind of love? Would she be able to be with him, or is it just her skewed way of being grateful to him for giving her a reason to live? She glanced up, looking at the woman watering the roses. Could she say, without a doubt, that she didn't somehow fall for her companion? That not even a trickle of the love she felt for her, was sexual in any way, shape, or form?

"...-tena-sama?"

She still didn't realize the woman standing in front of her, calling her name.

"Utena-sama?"

By the fourth call of her name, she snapped out of it. "H-Himemiya?"

The woman moved the watering can to her other hand. "Is something wrong, Utena-sama?"

The woman in question leaped up, hastily walking towards the door. "Uh, I just remembered, I have to go help Wakaba with something!"

She sprinted out the door. She needed to get out. Her mind was racing. Why did her chest tighten up? Why did her throat just suddenly go dry when she realized Himemiya was standing so close? She finally stopped running, choosing a pillar to lean against. She slowly slid down it, hiding her eyes with a hand.

The prince rolled onto her back. Sleep was eluding her. She rolled off to the side, only to be met by emerald eyes. Her breath caught again.

Anthy stretched her hand out, clasping it with the woman opposite of her. "Utena-sama, you've been acting strange for the past few days. Are you sure nothing is wrong?"

Utena lightly squeezed her hand, "It's nothing, Himemiya."

Anthy furrowed her brows a bit, squeezing her hand back. "You're lying."

"What makes you think that?"

"You haven't been looking me in the eye. Plus, your voice is higher than usual." She continued staring holes into Utena, "Didn't you say, if something was troubling one of us, we should talk about it, Utena-sama?"

She laughed nervously. "Well, uh, that was mainly directed towards you, since you're so quiet."

"Do... Do you not trust me, Utena-sama?"

Utena's heart throbbed. "N-No! It's not that! I just-" She sighed, bringing her other hand to rest on top of both of theirs and lowering her tone, "I've just been having some problems that I can't really sort out clearly..."

"Are they anything I could help with?"

**Yes. **

"I don't think so."

**Yes there is, don't lie to her!**

"I think it's something only I can do."

**Tell her that you fell for her, idiot!**

Emerald eyes closed, "Why are you lying to me again, Utena-sama?"

Utena blinked, surprised that she could see through her facade so easily. "I-I'm not lying!"

"...Is this about what was said the other day? About having me?"

She sighed. Guess she really can't hide anything from Himemiya. "...yeah."

Anthy sat up, her long hair billowing out around her, Utena following suit. "Himemiya?"

The witch turned her body towards the prince, a serious expression on her face. "That was not said as the Rose Bride."

Utena was speechless.

"I'm sorry for forcing my desires onto you, Utena-sama. It was a selfish thing to do."

That was enough apologizing. Utena clenched her fist, her voice hard. "Stop with the apologizing!"

Anthy looked up in surprise at the tone of her prince. "Utena...sama?"

"You're not selfish, Himemiya." Utena smiled, standing from her bed and taking a seat next to her companion. "If anything, you're far to lenient and timid. I've been thinking about when you... the balcony..."

Anthy remained silent, allowing her fingers to lace with Utena's.

"I want you to talk to me. I want you to be happy. I want you to do what you want to, Himemiya. If anything, I'm the selfish one... Those are all things I want."

A smile splayed across the witch's features, unseen by the prince staring at their interlocked fingers, "Then, Utena-sama, if my wish was to become yours, what would you say to that?"

Utena swallowed hard, licking her suddenly dry lips and stammering out a response. "I-I don't know..."

"Would you save me?"

The prince's heart throbbed in her chest. "I'm not going to lie... I've..." She took a deep breath to calm her nerves, "I've been wracking my mind to come up with ways to keep my eyes set on my prince, but somehow... Somehow you wove your way into his spot. All I've been able to think about lately, is how soft would your lips be if I kissed them? How smooth would your skin be, if I gently ran my fingers across it?" She brought her other hand up to her temple and closed her eyes, "I can't get you out of my head."

"Utena-sama..."

She grinned sheepishly, tears forming in her eyes and dropping from her cheek, "I must be weird, huh?"

Anthy brought her hand to her keeper's cheek, flicking away a tear with her thumb before sliding it to her chin.

Utena's eyes widened, "Hime...miya?"

"That's not the only thing troubling you." She held her chin place, flicking her eyes up to meet her prince's, "I know you remember."

Utena's throat went dry. Of course she remembered. How could she have ever forgotten something so cruel?

All those swords...

The pain she must have felt. "Re...Remember what?"

In the second that Utena blinked, Anthy had become the little girl from her past. The same little girl that writhed from the objects impaling her. The same little girl that started crying as she promised to save her. She turned her head away, the image of the impaled child overtook her vision. "I could never forget something so cruel."

"I accepted that punishment out of love."

Utena looked back, seeing the Anthy she was more familiar with. "What?"

The witch grinned, tilting her head. "I'm actually quite selfish."

Pink hair fluffed as it's owner leaned back, jarred by the expression running across her bride's face. This was something she had never seen from her companion.

The witch continued. "I wanted the prince all to myself." She flicked her eyes up to meet the duelist before her, "Those villagers... They also wanted him. They wanted to make use of him, to drain him of his life and take every last bit of strength he had." Her grin grew wider, "What better way to express my love, than to accept his pain?"

"Hime...miya..."

"And then he brings you to me..." She scoffed, smiling ruefully. "This little girl, who vowed to save me with tears in her eyes."

"S-Stop..."

"Hm?"

The prince stood, her anger pouring out through her raised voice. "Stop it, Himemiya!"

"Why should I?"

The duelist shook with anger, her hands clenched into fists. "He wanted to save you!"

Anthy leveled her eyes, her vacant glare catching blue ones. "He probably only wanted to save you, the tragic little princess."

"You're wrong."

"Hm?"

Utena hardened her eyes, her teeth clenched as she spat the answer. "I said, you're wrong."

"How am I wrong? You're a princess, aren't you?"

The prince lost control of her anger. "He wanted to save you! He has always wanted to save you! This is why he gave me this signet! This is why I have been dueling!" She gasped for breath, "He gave me something to live for! He gave me the chance to save you! I want to save you! We are one in the same!"

Anthy watched as her keeper fell to her hands and knees, gasping for air. "How could you possibly know what he's thinking?"

"Didn't I tell you? We're one in the same. I have the sword of Dios. I have his power. I feel what he feels."

"Then how can you say you want me?"

Blue eyes glanced up, locking with green. "Because when you were gone, I still wanted you."

"That means nothing. I offered myself to you numerous times, Utena-sama. You never took them."

The prince stood, her bangs hiding her eyes. "Because you never had your heart in any of those." She lifted her head up, revealing eyes on the brink of tears. "You never gave any indication that you truly wanted me... I saw you with Akio..."

Anthy felt a sting of pain in her chest. "I know."

"...Why?"

"He's the closest to freeing Dios."

"...and what if I win the final duel?"

"You may do what you wish. It is the power to revolutionize the world."

"I see."

Silence flowed around them, broken by the ruffling of fabric as the prince kneeled. She grasped the witch's hand, slowly lifting it and placing a kiss on the top. "When I win, you will never feel pain like this again. I will save you, Anthy."

Her heart jumped at the sound of her name falling from the prince's lips, but her exterior never showed it. "I shall await your victory or defeat, Utena-sama."


End file.
